The Southwest Voice

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Recently I attended a trade show for members of the wine industry held by a group called The Family Winemakers. Over 350 different wineries offered a variety of wines for people like myself to sample in hopes of enticing us to purchase their wares for the restaurants and wine shops we represented. Quite a daunting task, but an enjoyable one.

With over a thousand different wines presented, how does one possibly manage such an undertaking? Friends have often asked this question. This event lasted four hours and that’s about par for the course, but I seldom last that long. And I don’t mean I’m pixilated, I know my limit. I quit when I’ve tasted between 25 to 35 or so wines. There’s a big difference between tasting and drinking wine, or tasting and eating food for that matter. Tasting wine is taking a mouthful of the small pour that is put into your glass, holding it in your mouth for a few seconds (long enough to really taste it), actually swish it around, and then either swallow or spit out the mouthful.

Yech! Did I say “spit”? Yes, I did. Tasting events like this provide spit cups for the tasters, or spit containers (we call them buckets) at strategic intervals. I’m not a particularly good spitter. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten over the feeling my mother would be aghast. Hence, I find I swallow more tastes than I spit, which accounts for the fact I don’t really sample more than two or three dozen or so in an afternoon.

So, how do you choose which wines to sample from so many? You make a plan of attack before you arrive. Ann is famous for her plan, and here’s the secret: I have to know which wineries will be there, and I would really like to know which wines will be poured, if at all possible. I then research (read) many of the wine publications looking for ratings and recommendations about new wines, and I consult my notes from other wine events and winery visits with winemakers for their hints and tips.

I have to choose which of my several hats I’m going to wear, figuratively speaking. Am I the wine buyer for a restaurant today? Am I searching for finds for private cellars? Am I just browsing for myself or friends? Am I evaluating certain varietals in the continual quest for great wines? My plan is directed by my purpose.

For this event, I was traveling to the Pasadena Convention Center wearing my restaurant wine buyer hat to search out wines that I know from experience will suit the tastes and pocketbooks of our clientele. I was looking for several new additions to our list of Chardonnays for the summer, and I also wanted to sample a few new wineries’ offerings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the price range most popular at the restaurant. I did find wines that will suit our needs, and one or two that I will search out for my own cellar, a Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc and a Grgich Hills Chardonnay.

The week before, I went to a large Pinot Noir festival on the Central Coast that was held over two days at the Cliffs Hotel in Shell Beach. My purpose was to evaluate the latest Pinots from 200 wineries and my plan had 68 wineries on it to sample over the two afternoons. Wow! I didn’t manage to get to them all. Spitting was at the bare minimum because I loved the wines and just had to swallow my mouthfuls. No driving, I stayed right there. Friends shared my plan and I think we did get the chosen wineries’ offerings evaluated. Some of the Pinots we thought were especially outstanding were from new producers Kosta Browne, Paul Lato, Segue, Cima Collina, The Donum Estate and Fort Ross. Keep an eye out for these if you love Pinot as much as I do.

— Questions? Send e-mail to Ann at: acierley@etcrier.net

Coming Events:
April 5 — Bakersfield Friends of Wine, The Petroleum Club at 7 P.M. Winemaker Ken Brown and his wines from Santa Barbara County will be featured. Gourmet dinner and wines $85. For more information or to RSVP, call Klaus Hoeper at 871-6463.

April 18 — First Red and White Wine and Food Festival at Bakersfield College. Over 50 wineries will be pouring. $40. Details, call Mike Stepanovich at 395-4840.